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Plz help with an engagement ring!!

L

Lenovo

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
100
I have been reading feverishly about diamonds/rings/settings during the last few months. I am almost ready to pop THE question and I need a LOT of help with selecting a ring. My budget is varied and I can go as high as 20K, but to be honest, I'd keep it under 15K if feasible.

From what I understand in my infancy about the 4Cs, the cut is what makes the biggest difference. I am close to NYC and can definitely head over to retail stores to check out what looks good to the eye. I am having a lot of trouble deciding what is the best bang for the buck in my price range. I was talking to my better half and she seems to be a big fan of Leon Mege - I tried researching about this fella and couldn't find much. How is his reputation in the diamond world?

She sent me the following excerpt recently:
The first one has to be one of my fav leone mege on his site. I love the thin band!! The price on this one is "bmw" (it goes mini cooper, bmw, porche, ferari, royls royce). For the center stone I like cushion (or antique cushion) and maybe round (but everyone has that). I think these shapes look bigger per carat. I think all the fancy shapes like asscher (and oval which i love) might look to small around 2 carats. I you could add a little diamond pave detail to the prongs like the second one below it would be beautiful. We should make an appointment with him while i'm there.
https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/engagement-ring-wedding-band-set
http://forum.purseblog.com/the-jewelry-box/show-me-your-leon-mege-rings-699222-2.html
Click to expand...

I was also browsing at online venues, but am not so sure about spending a large sum on something I have never seen or held. Is it safe to buy online?

This is the first time I will be spending such a large amount and I would appreciate any and all input from everyone about the topic. I really am an open slate and am open to anything. Thanks!!!
 
haha, I am having a little trouble decoding your personal communications between you and your gf.

She says she "loves" ovals, but thinks they are too small per carat. Ovals tend to look bigger than rounds per carat.

She says she likes cushion and rounds, but round may be a little too typical. Cushion looks smaller than rounds per carat, EXCEPT for cushion brilliants which have more comparable size. But they are impossible to find in your size range right now, so I suggest maybe not go on a wild goose chase.

She mentions asscher, but does not say love or like. It sounds like oval may be the way to go.

If you are near NYC you can make an appointment with his office.
 
JulieN|1362935963|3401305 said:
haha, I am having a little trouble decoding your personal communications between you and your gf.

Ovals tend to look bigger than rounds per carat. I assume it has something to do with rate of change. Cushion looks smaller than rounds per carat, EXCEPT for cushion brilliants. But they are impossible to find in your size range right now, so I suggest maybe not go on a wild goose chase.

If you are near NYC you can make an appointment with his office.
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haha, you are telling me!! I am not sure what it means either - very cryptic ;)


In my price range, what would you suggest I hone in on as it will be look the best and be the best bang for the buck?
 
From what I'm reading, I think 1.5-ish round, I guess the setting around 3-4K. She says fancies in 2 cts, which you probably can't reach on your budget unless she likes lower colors.
 
Thanks. I am putting together the following:

Carat : around 1.5ish or some odd number as they are a little less pricey

Cut: at least an "ideal"

Clarity : Some trouble with this one as I know eye clean SI 1 or SI 2 will give the greatest value for the money, but may not be as good as the higher grades.

Color: again, not so sure on this one - but don't go below i

What do you guys think of the above? Reasonable for under 20K?


We did go to Tiffany at one point and she really like the novo line. Anything similar to these around w/o the brand name?
 
haha well from what i can decode about the message i think she is a bit off. A cushion and assher will look smaller, round obviously will be the control, and an oval would look a tad bigger. If she likes ovals which it sounds like she does, that might be an option, sense ovals are a bit cheaper, and would look larger at about 1.5
 
haha now you all know what I am dealing with! :twirl:

A quote from princess: "so many!! only if there was one for each day"

Anyways, you guys are great. Thanks for the input. As you likely have figured out, we are very new to the diamond world so please excuse the ignorance from time to time.

As far as the budget, I did mention 15K before, but I want this to be THE BEST experience for her and in the grand scheme of things I don't think 5K will make a big difference. Now whether adding 5K will land me a diamond that is worth 5K more than 15K,I am not sure about that - what do you guys think?

She is also very hung up on Leon Megee and I think the reason is b/c she has seen some pictures she really likes of his works. I am a little skeptical and wanted to ask here if the guy charges a premium and whether he is worth it. SHe also mentioned that he works with a diamond guy who pricematches anything from online. This setup seems a bit win win for the retailer and I wanted to see if you guys recommend him or would it be cheaper to figure out what you want and then buy it online?
 
I don't know you guys I think if I read between the lines she wants a large stone I'm thinking as close to 2.00 as possible round or cushion..As far as oval she might say she loves it but its sorry but not reallly "in" right now and not as desirable IMO
.

If she loves that setting make an appoinment find the setting and have them help you with the stone.
 
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10320/

Id still buy this one and have them ship it to Leon mege for you. Leaves you 7k for a setting, which you may need for a leon mege when she wants diamonds in the prongs and basket and all over


And as for ovals, i prefer stones that are less popular, so dont let them being less "in" dissuade you. Though, they wont sparkle like a round.
 
heididdl said:
I don't know you guys I think if I read between the lines she wants a large stone I'm thinking as close to 2.00 as possible round or cushion..As far as oval she might say she loves it but its sorry but not reallly "in" right now and not as desirable IMO
.

If she loves that setting make an appoinment find the setting and have them help you with the stone.
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You are right on the money!

Spoke to her a bit more and we talked a bit about what she wants/likes. She definitely prefers a bigger stone than one that is has great clarity under 10x magnification.

What are some grades for color and clarity that I should shoot for? Want something that is the best bang for the buck in the price range. At the moment, she is equally fond between the cushion and round cuts.


O and another update with Leon Mege - she got an online quote and it is as follows:
antique cushion cut diamond:
Weight: 1.70 carat
Color: G
Clarity: SI1
Symmetry - VG; Polish - EX; Fluorescence - N
The above goes with 401™ Solitaire Ring
Ring design based on portfolio image r1079 https://www.artofplatinum.com/vault/engagement-ring-wedding-band-setthat is made with Hand forged 5% Ruthenium Platinum
Price 17K

What do you guys think of the above? Good diamond? How much do you think the diamond is? Good overall deal?

I have a feeling I can do better if I get the diamond elsewhere...
 
Price is fine. Prob can't go cheaper than that, we're talking maybe, $1000, and of course Leon prefers to set the stones he sells.

But since you are near the office, I would ask for a couple of candidates to choose from, maybe some H color, and to pick one in person.
 
JulieN|1363041575|3402328 said:
Price is fine. Prob can't go cheaper than that, we're talking maybe, $1000, and of course Leon prefers to set the stones he sells.

But since you are near the office, I would ask for a couple of candidates to choose from, maybe some H color, and to pick one in person.
Click to expand...

So don't even bother shopping around and just go to him and be a one stop shop? Should I take the diamond to an independent guy for him to review and make sure it is what it says it is? What else should I ask about? Cleanings, etc etc?
 
I know it may be hard to believe that I am not suggesting you shop around... but yes. It is always preferable to do the stone and setting in one place. You can ask them to have several stones for you to look at and pick from that fit your desires. You can employ an appraiser to do a pre-purchase appraisal for you.
 
Thanks JulieN. I like your suggestions and I am sure they have wisdom behind them that I cannot yet decipher.

I was reading Dreamer D's posts in the "best for 30K diamond" and I like her philosophy very much. I want something that's big and has a good cut - screw the color and clarity (well not completely). If I want something along those lines, what kind of diamond should I be looking for?
 
:lol:

My personal answer to that 30K thread is a 3.5 J/K SI2/I1. I am completely blind to inclusions. When I was a wee girl, my mom pointed out to me the black inclusion in her pendant. I was like, "whaaaat?" It took me a while to find it, and even then I did not care.

The premium to jump the 2 ct mark is hefty, probably J color for the same price as the 1.7 G SI1. I think G-I SI1 is a good place for most people, let them know you want a fine cut stone.
 
Nice. I like your response for the 30K thread !

So for let's say around 15K for the diamond, your pick would be 1.7 ideal round G SI1? OR what would be your ideal for around 15K?

Just trying to get an idea so when I go to a jeweler I don't look like a total noob
 
Lenovo|1363050057|3402488 said:
Nice. I like your response for the 30K thread !

So for let's say around 15K for the diamond, your pick would be 1.7 ideal round G SI1? OR what would be your ideal for around 15K?

Just trying to get an idea so when I go to a jeweler I don't look like a total noob
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Sense she wants size i would go down to an I SI1
 
Makes sense.

Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Carat : as big as possible given price range

Cut - what is the proper way to define the best cut? Are there certain angles that must be aligned? How do you tell if two diamonds are the same but one has better cut?
 
Lenovo|1363051689|3402525 said:
Makes sense.

Color: I
Clarity: SI1
Carat : as big as possible given price range

Cut - what is the proper way to define the best cut? Are there certain angles that must be aligned? How do you tell if two diamonds are the same but one has better cut?
Click to expand...

I am not one of the cut experts like the other girls but this is a good way to screen for potential duds, https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca
punch in those states and see what comes up, you want to have under 2. However, if you are going with LM, tell him you want a AGS 000 or a GIA triple ex thats ideally cut and im sure he will fnd you something nice. I do think if its not going in a halo an I would be just fine, even in a halo i like them, Im just saying they wont be right next to brighter color melee, i really think if she is neeeeeeding size, I is the way to go. And, I wouldnt even exclude an SI2 if its eye clean. I would tell him probably an I thats eye clean at 6 inches and if it fits that criteria then does what type of SI it is really matter?
 
I think it is actually pretty clear what she wants:

1. Well made pave solitaire with pave on the band and the whole head. She loves Leon Mege's work so I think the only folks for you to consider are Leon Mege and Steven Kirsch. I think the setting will run you 3-4K.

2. She wants a well cut diamond that is as big as possible. I believe she is hinting that if you get a fancy shape to keep in mind that they face up smaller so you will have to o larger. She doesn't want to sound like ungrateful brat so she isn't saying outright she wants a big diamond.

3. She doesn't seem that picky in shape but I get the sense that she wants a round, cushion or oval. I think to be safe you should stick with a round and that would include OEC and RB. Personally, I would get an OEC (which I believe is more beautiful) which also comes with a lower price tag.
 
You guys are right on with the money. Man, I should come here more and just ask for advice in general. We were chatting it up and it seems like she prefers the cushion over the round, but she is not totally against round.

Charmypoo, you are right on the money with your conclusions. I just read the thread about Mege and now I am a little concerned about some of the issues with his rings and how he handled the situations - gonna be spending a good chunk of money, so I want to at least feel comfortable that I am getting a decent setting where the diamond won't fly out! Valid or just poo poo reasoning? Should we look at others for the setting as well?

Back to cut - since the consensus is to get THE best cut, what about a hearts and arrow diamond? I was reading that this is the best cut.

Color : I
Clarity - Si 1 or 2
Cut - HA?
shape - cushion
carat - as big as possible in the price range


H
 
You need to be looking at 2+ ct cushions to roughly be the equivalent size of a 1.7 round.

Your GF sent you a link to an extremely delicate ring that is 1.6 mm wide, with pave in the basket, this type of design inherently is less durable than other designs. No matter how well made, the higher probability of missing pave is just built-in to the design.

This is from an appraiser's POV: https://www.pricescope.com/journal/thin-vendor%E2%80%99s-dilemma
 
Tricky area we are dealing with yes. How is steven kirsch when compared to leon mege? He has a similar design to what she likes from the LM ring.

What are your thoughts about hearts and arrows?
 
Lenovo|1363128669|3403233 said:
Tricky area we are dealing with yes. How is steven kirsch when compared to leon mege? He has a similar design to what she likes from the LM ring.

What are your thoughts about hearts and arrows?
Click to expand...
Get a ideal cut his triple ex or an AGS 000 and you don't need to pay the premium for an H&A. Its just a symmetry thing, and if you get a well performing stone, honestly you're eye won't see a difference.
 
Lenovo|1363128669|3403233 said:
Tricky area we are dealing with yes. How is steven kirsch when compared to leon mege? He has a similar design to what she likes from the LM ring.
Click to expand...

Very compareable. My wedding band is from Steven Kirsch and my e-ring is from Leon Mege. They were made to be a perfect match and they are. You can't tell the workmanship apart. I actually went to visit with both Leon Mege and Steven Kirsch today. Steven will be making my new e-ring.
 
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